Ceiling Fan Wind Turbine Conversion

NateP

Hello, I'm attempting to convert and old ceiling fan into a wind turbine.  I have the motor opened up and have installed 8 1.5" circular neodymium magnets in alternating poles.  The stater is in good condition and the wiring appears to be in good condition as well.  When I spin the magnets around the stater there is no electical activity.  Does anyone have and ideas to help me troubleshoot the issue?

BB.

Ok general, permanent magnet motors are (or can be) 3 phase motors (possibly single phase motor with a second starting winding).

If this is an DC powered fan (i.e. 12 or 24 VDC input), then there is an electronic circuit that takes DC in and outputs multiple phase AC power out.

You would need to rip out the AC converter and disconnect the motor windings so you can figure out the wiring (with an Ohm meter. Careful, if you have your fingers on the wiring agile Ohming out the windings, you can get small electric shocks).

Normally, you would connect the 3 windings to a 3 phase rectifier block to get DC current out.

If this was a 120/240 VAC PM motor, it could be an PM motor, but not common (?).

If multi-speed motor, windings could be more complex.

In general I am not a big fan of pm motor conversions for wind / water turbines.

-Bill

dennis461

First thing you need to know is that the magnets must be very very close to the stator steel. If the stator steel is curved (inside radius), then the magnet must be shaped to match.  If you have two shapes that do not match like this ((  , then it will not work.
Next thing, you need to make sure the stator coils will be additive, for example, if one magnet-coil pair produces 5 volts, the other pairs must also produce positive 5 volts and add (not subtract).

Good luck and post some pictures